Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Allyl cinnamate
Allyl cinnamate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2022 (CAS 1866-31-5).
- FEMA
- 2022
- CAS
- 1866-31-5
- JECFA
- 19
- EU FL
- 09.741
- Formula
- C12H12O2
- EC
- 217-477-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1866-31-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 2-propen-1-yl ester, Cinnamic acid, allyl ester, 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 2-propenyl ester, NSC 20972, propenyl cinnamate, vinyl carbinyl cinnamate, cinnamic acid, allyl ester, 2-propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 2-propenyl ester, allyl beta-phenylacrylate, 2-propen-1-yl 3-phenyl-2-propenoate, prop-2-enyl (e)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate, 2-propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 2-propen-1-yl ester.
Can Allyl cinnamate be labeled natural?
Since allyl cinnamate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when allyl cinnamate is synthesized. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
- United States
- Natural or artificial, by process
- European Union and UK
- Natural only from natural material
- Mercosur and Mexico
- Natural or identical-to-natural
How each market defines the classes: natural vs artificial flavor under 21 CFR 101.22.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Allyl cinnamate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2022. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.741, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA/EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 19, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Allyl cinnamate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1866-31-5, where EPA names it 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 2-propen-1-yl ester.
Active in US commerce
EPA designates this substance active, so no Notice of Activity Form B is required before manufacturing. What active and inactive mean.
EPA publishes no regulatory flags on this listing. What the flags mean.
From the EPA non-confidential TSCA Inventory, July 2026 release. EPA also maintains a confidential portion it does not publish. Search the Inventory by CAS number.
Odor and taste
Taste: Sweet, spicy, fruity.
Where it is used
Allyl cinnamate is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Allyl cinnamate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allyl phenoxyacetate | 2038 | 86% | In nature |
| Allyl phenylacetate | 2039 | 84% | In nature |
| Propyl cinnamate | 2938 | 81% | In nature |
| Methyl cinnamate | 2698 | 73% | In nature |
| Isobutyl cinnamate | 2193 | 72% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Allyl tiglate · Allyl phenoxyacetate · 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate · 3-Oxododecanoic acid glyceride · Ethyl undecanoate · cis-3-Hexenyl benzoate
Allyl cinnamate FAQ
Is allyl cinnamate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists allyl cinnamate as GRAS under FEMA number 2022. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for allyl cinnamate?
Allyl cinnamate is FEMA 2022, CAS 1866-31-5. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does allyl cinnamate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Allyl cinnamate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: allyl cinnamate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized allyl cinnamate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic allyl cinnamate identical-to-natural.
Is allyl cinnamate on the EU Union List?
Allyl cinnamate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.741 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated allyl cinnamate?
Yes. JECFA number 19, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
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Sources and attribution. The identity and regulatory facts on this page are taken from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, a US government record, which lists this substance as ALLYL CINNAMATE under CAS 1866-31-5 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavoring agent or adjuvant.
A FEMA GRAS conclusion is reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States, and the FEMA number names that conclusion. FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record of what the Panel decided and is worth reading alongside this page.
Ambrose Compliance is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FEMA. FEMA and FEMA GRAS are used here as identifiers for a published regulatory determination, not as marks of any relationship between FEMA and Ambrose.
About this page. Facts come from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, the Code of Federal Regulations, the EPA TSCA Inventory, the EU Union List, JECFA and the Ambrose database, with FEMA's published determination cited where it applies; parts of the text are written by Ambrose AI, which can make mistakes. Check the cited source before relying on anything here. This is not regulatory or legal advice.